Canada has banned the adoption of children from certain countries, but Quebec has now extended this ban to most international adoptions, regardless of the country. CBC
Quebec has put a stop to most new international adoption applications due to growing concerns about human rights violations and child trafficking. This move reflects a global shift in attitudes toward international adoptions as more countries realize the potential for serious issues in the process.
Anne-Marie Piché, a professor from the Université du Québec à Montréal who specializes in adoption, explained that while international agreements aim to regulate adoptions, there are significant gaps in how these processes are carried out in some countries. She pointed out that in certain cases, children’s personal information, such as details about their parents or reasons for being placed for adoption, is not properly recorded. In some situations, mothers may be coerced into signing documents to give up their children, or children might be falsely labeled as abandoned. The desire for financial gain also sometimes leads to quick adoptions without proper checks.
The Quebec government, in a statement released on November 27, emphasized that the decision was made in the interest of child protection. The province expressed concern that the current international system did not always meet the standards set out by the Hague Conventions, which aim to safeguard children from illegal adoptions, trafficking, and other harmful practices. As a result, the province has decided to implement a temporary suspension while it works to strengthen its framework and prevent practices like child abduction and illegal trafficking.
Geneviève Poirier, the director of international adoption at Quebec's Health Ministry, explained that international adoptions are often halted during times of instability, such as wars or civil unrest, to ensure that children are not wrongly separated from their families. She noted that, due to instability, Quebec cannot guarantee the safety or legitimacy of international adoptions.
Quebec is not alone in this decision. Several other countries, including France, the Netherlands, and Denmark, have also reevaluated their international adoption practices. China, a country that once sent many children abroad for adoption, has completely ended its international adoption program. In South Korea, a recent investigation found that many of the 200,000 children sent abroad had their adoption documents altered or fabricated. In some cases, children were even kidnapped from the streets, while others were falsely declared abandoned despite having known relatives.
The move to suspend most international adoptions is part of a broader realization that, in some cases, international adoption may violate a child’s rights, particularly their right to know their origins and family history. Piché believes that international adoption should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options, including support for the child’s birth parents or placement with extended family, have been explored.
Despite the good intentions behind international adoption, Piché argues that even when a child is adopted into a loving home, they may still feel a sense of loss and confusion about their identity. She explained that even children who appear to be thriving in their new families can feel something is missing if they don’t know their roots.
While the new policy affects new adoptions, Quebec will allow ongoing adoptions to continue, as well as adoptions from non-certified agencies. The Canadian government has also suspended adoptions from certain countries, including Georgia, Guatemala, Liberia, Nepal, and Ukraine, as part of its broader efforts to prevent human trafficking and other adoption-related issues.
